Brownsville’s veteran contribution to the RGV music scene, Panteon, is still around and kicking it after close to three decades of supplying us with their brand of metal. This trio submerges themselves frequently between the lakes of death metal and the rivers of black metal that it’s really difficult to brand them as death metal, black metal, blackened- death metal or deathened-black metal; regardless, it’s Panteon metal. Return of the Killer is their 2016 release. This release is 12 tracks of straight-forward, old-school, primitive dark metal. The overall sound of this release is really good. The guys at 412 Studio (Brownsville, TX) and at Studio 54 (Lake Jackson, TX) really did a good job of not losing any instrument in the mix. Everything is nicely level, and nothing is really overpowering.
Most of the songs have a basic 2 or 3-riff song structure with little structural variation between songs, but it works. It’s kind of like AC/D: their songs all have a distinct simplicity and arrangement, but they do it well, just as Panteon do their thing well. If you’re looking for complex song structure, blazing leads and pulsating blast beats, look elsewhere, because Panteon stay away from that and prefer to do their own thing. There is no denying the black metal aura around this band in sound, image and lyrical content, but it’s not black metal of the Mayhem variety but more of the Bathory variety…mid-paced, simple and constantly pounding. Although each song is catchy, the standout song for me was probably “The Day You Die.” The bassist Valdo strays on his own with a nice, little bass melody after the 3-minute mark that helps set this song apart from the rest. “Possession” starts off with a riff reminiscent of Slayer’s “Black Magic”, and “Satan’s Whore” is another solid tune that seems to echo for a while in the listener’s head way after one has turned off the music.
I have always felt that the voice in music is an extension of the instruments; it doesn’t need to be understood to be enjoyed. Art, especially music, is about enjoyment, not comprehension. With that in mind, I couldn’t help but notice that Hannibal’s vocals are exceptionally clear for someone who is emanating such abrasive and angry vocals. The album layout does not come with lyrics, but any seasoned metal head would have little trouble deciphering Hannibal’s lyrics; it’s a nice aspect to Panteon’s musical delivery. Although, as I mentioned before, clear vocals are not necessarily mandatory (especially in metal), but I do like the clarity and decipherability of his vocals. This is dark, simple, heavy and driving; this is Panteon.
About Jaime Perez -
Jaime Perez is a founding member and drummer of McAllen Texas’ longest running death metal band, Severance. He has been a part of the Texas metal scene since the early ’80s and continues to do so to this day. His music collection, both cds and vinyl, tallies in at roughly 1500 physical copies and includes a variety of musical genres, although a vast majority is metal. In addition to churning out metal, Jaime is also a former high school English teacher, currently a librarian, and an award-winning author. He has published three novels, two of which have won awards. He can be reached at:
Email: jaimeperez917@yahoo.com
Twitter: @JPerezAuthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaime.perez.188478
No comments:
Post a Comment